KKK’s ‘white pride’ billboard stirs controversy in Arkansas

No stranger to controversy regarding the Ku Klux Klan, the town of Harrison, Arkansas is making headlines across the United States after a new billboard promoting “white pride” and the KKK’s radio station went up earlier this week.

Placed on Highway 65 near Harrison’s city limits, the new
billboard reads, “It’s NOT Racist to [heart] Your
People.” It also describes Harrison by saying, “Love
Lives Here,” and depicts a young white girl holding a puppy
in her arms.

The advertisement – which officially went up on Monday, according
to the Harrison Daily Times – goes on to promote a
website called WhitePrideRadio.com.

If typed into an internet browser, the link redirects viewers to
another page encouraging people to tune into KKK Radio for
programs aimed at “the entire family.” Alongside music
and old time radio shows, the station’s schedule lists programs
titled “Sword of Truth” and “The White Side,” as well as “This is
the Klan.”

“A lot of people recognize that there is an ongoing program
of genocide against white people,” the website reads.
“There are websites, newsletters, videos, and radio shows,
but too many talk about family without including the
family.”

Describing its own programming, the KKK Radio site states:
“These are free of race mixing themes and the exploits of
homosexuals – the kind of entertainment that is popular on
television today.”

“It has always been our mission to not just promote the white
family, but to make them a part of this cause of white Christian
revival,” it continues.

As soon as the billboard arrived, it was met with criticism from
residents and others around the country. On Facebook, some users commenting on the Daily
Times’ story posted intense criticisms of the ad while others
said there was nothing particularly wrong about it.

“I don't know what makes me more sick to my stomach: That the
sign company keeps allowing this in the name of ‘freedom of
speech’ or that these sorry excuses for people keep trying to
disguise their twisted views as a message of love,” wrote
one user.

Another user stated: “Nothing wrong with being proud of one’s
color. Black people can boast black pride, Hispanics can boast
their pride, but honestly, when white people boast white pride,
everyone screams racism.”

Thomas Robb, the director of the Knights Club of the Ku Klux Klan
who confirmed that his group was behind the advertisement,
insisted that the billboard is not racist.

“The message is that white people have the right to be proud
of who they are. Everybody else has the right to be proud, and I
don’t deny that,” he said to local news station KLOR.

Mayor Jeff Crockett, however, said the sign is not a true
reflection of the town’s values. He added that the billboard
could potentially keep people away from the town and damage its
economy.

Notably, this isn’t the first time Harrison has become home to a
provocative KKK advertisement. In October 2013, a different
billboard featured a sign that read: “Anti-Racist is a Code
Word for Anti-White.”

Just below that billboard was another that welcomed visitors to
Harrison by pointing out “Beautiful Town. Beautiful People.
No Wrong Exits. No Bad Neighborhoods.” Alongside these words
was a picture of a white family.

Despite the bad press, Robb said there are no plans to take down
the ad before its one-year lease expires. In fact, he told the
Daily Times that the group will “probably redo the
lease” by the time 2016 rolls around.